Welcome to Ashland Outdoor School!
Summer Camps. After School Classes. Monthly Programs. See our Winter Classes below...
Summer Camps. After School Classes. Monthly Programs. See our Winter Classes below...
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Archery Weekend
Sunday 10:00 - 3:00. November 9. Enrollment Open. $75 - $175 sliding scale* (Families $90 - $225) Near Ashland. For Adults and Kids 7 and up. We had a blast this summer and by popular request, we are offering an Archery Day this Fall! Beginners will Learn - The Five Fundamental Techniques - How to hold the bow and arrow - The "Big Three" for accurate shooting, - How to safely practice together with others. - How to create an effective practice routine - How to make your own free/affordable targets *Optional: we will help you order a complete bow and arrow set up for under $150. With enough notice, we can make sure you have your new set up at this workshop so you can get to know it with guidance. Experienced Archers will learn - How to reinforce the "Big Three" - How to bareshaft tune arrows - Arrow repair - Follow up activities - How to form "good" habits - Recommended resources Everyone will learn by doing. We will join in games, activities, crafts and tournaments to enhance our archery skills and knowledge. |
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Sacred Animal Harvest
Saturday, November 15. 9:00 - 3:00. Enrollment Open.
$75 - $375 sliding scale*
Talent. For Adults. Kids 9 and up, or youngers with parents ok too.
Instructors: Robin, Taylor, Ben, & Anya.
Join us to celebrate life and transform an animal into food, tools, and clothing with reverence, respect, and honor. The unescapable mystery of life is that we must kill to feed ourselves, whether it's kale and broccoli or beef and pork, we take life so that we may live. How do we acknowledge this fact of life in a way that honors our food with reciprocity, and respect, and humility? Often, someone else has done the 'dirty work' for us. A neat package of meat or bunch of bananas traveled a long road before arriving at the store. Can we stay connected to our hearts and feed ourselves? It's been said, 'In the old days, no part of the animal was wasted.' Let's turn back the clock. With skilled instructors, this class will travel back in time and once again people will harvest an animal so that nothing goes to waste.
This is a hands on class. Yet students can choose their own level of participation, whether you wish to watch or help throughout the process, you are free to join at the level with which you feel comfortable.
Please bring a lunch, water bottle, snacks, dress warmly enough to be outside.
Saturday, November 15. 9:00 - 3:00. Enrollment Open.
$75 - $375 sliding scale*
Talent. For Adults. Kids 9 and up, or youngers with parents ok too.
Instructors: Robin, Taylor, Ben, & Anya.
Join us to celebrate life and transform an animal into food, tools, and clothing with reverence, respect, and honor. The unescapable mystery of life is that we must kill to feed ourselves, whether it's kale and broccoli or beef and pork, we take life so that we may live. How do we acknowledge this fact of life in a way that honors our food with reciprocity, and respect, and humility? Often, someone else has done the 'dirty work' for us. A neat package of meat or bunch of bananas traveled a long road before arriving at the store. Can we stay connected to our hearts and feed ourselves? It's been said, 'In the old days, no part of the animal was wasted.' Let's turn back the clock. With skilled instructors, this class will travel back in time and once again people will harvest an animal so that nothing goes to waste.
This is a hands on class. Yet students can choose their own level of participation, whether you wish to watch or help throughout the process, you are free to join at the level with which you feel comfortable.
Please bring a lunch, water bottle, snacks, dress warmly enough to be outside.
Blacksmithing 101 - ongoing weekly Blacksmithing
Thursdays 3:30 - 5:00. Ages 8 and up. Enrollment Open. (See Knife Making Workshops, below, for more blacksmithing opportunities)
Cost: $225 - $550 sliding scale* per session
Last Fall Session: October 30 - December 4 (*No Class November 27) Location: Hummingbird Forge, 15 minutes east of Ashland.
First Winter Session: January 8 - February 5. Location: Talent.
Second Winter Session: February 12 - March 19 (No Class March 5)
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Knife Making Weekends:
Blacksmithing for Young Smiths and Adults January 17-18 10:00 - 2:00. Adults. Kids ages 8 and up. Cost: $225 - $550 sliding scale* February 21-22 10:00 - 2:00. Adults. Kids ages 9 and up. Cost: $225 - $550 sliding scale* Would you like to make a knife? Join this two-day workshop and transform a piece of high carbon steel into your own hand-forged knife. Workshop will Cover: Safety Basic Forging Techniques Tool Use Types of Steel Heat-treating and Tempering High Carbon Steel *This is a hands-on workshop. Come prepared to work on your project both days. What to Bring: Lunch, Water, Safety Glasses, Ear Plugs, Leather Gloves, and plenty of patience + enthusiasm! Location: Hummingbird Forge, 20 minutes east of Ashland (where it's cooler in the mountains!). |
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Wilderness Survival & Earth Skills Program
Ages: 9 - 17. Choose a day. Wednesday, or Friday.
Wednesdays 2:30 - 5:00. Winter Session begins January 14. Ashland.
$223 - $527 sliding scale* per season. (Fall, Winter, Spring).
Join us to learn from nature through the seasons in our Fall-Spring Wilderness Skills Program. You can sign up for one season or join for the whole school year. On our adventures, we will explore nature, practice wilderness skills, share stories, and complete hands-on projects and activities that bring us close to nature and teach us about ourselves.
Skills we will cover in the program include:
- Shelter
- Containers (burn bowls, baskets)
- Fire (bowdrill, hand-drill, matches, tipi fire, star fire, tinder identification, and rainy conditions)
- Food (learn to recognize common poisonous and useful plants. Learn to make survival traps - no animals will be trapped)
- Hunting Tools: Primitive spears, atl-atl, bow, arrows, slings, bolas.
- Tool Making: bone, stone, and wood.
- Hide Tanning
- Camp Location and simple navigation and mapping
- Understanding and using Field Guides (books) and Nature Journaling
- Wildlife Tracking: identification of track and sign
- Bird Language: recognizing alarm behavior and 'reading concentric rings'
- Sensory Awareness Techniques: Including owl eyes, fox walking, body radar, and sit spots.
- Games that challenge awareness and nature skills
- Nature Journaling
- Field Guide Use
This is a hands-on class for anyone interested in stepping into nature and learning some of the 'old ways.'
Chickadee Camp - Nature Connection & Wilderness Skills
Fridays 2:00 - 4:30. Ages 5 - 17. Location: Talent. Winter Session begins January 16, 2026
$223 - $527 sliding scale* per season. (Fall, Winter, Spring).
Join us this Winter to learn from nature. Games, stories, ancestral skills/crafts and exploring will weave together as we learn to blend into the landscape and open our senses. This is an opportunity to unplug, learn to make things with our own hands, and sync to nature’s rhythm. This program is based on holistic mentoring, rather than imparting information, yet information is woven throughout the experiences. We teach a broad curriculum of local species, wilderness skills, and sensory awareness, through experiences that also awaken attributes such as aliveness, curiosity, agility, self-sufficiency, common sense, and helpfulness through connection with the natural world.
Fridays 2:00 - 4:30. Ages 5 - 17. Location: Talent. Winter Session begins January 16, 2026
$223 - $527 sliding scale* per season. (Fall, Winter, Spring).
Join us this Winter to learn from nature. Games, stories, ancestral skills/crafts and exploring will weave together as we learn to blend into the landscape and open our senses. This is an opportunity to unplug, learn to make things with our own hands, and sync to nature’s rhythm. This program is based on holistic mentoring, rather than imparting information, yet information is woven throughout the experiences. We teach a broad curriculum of local species, wilderness skills, and sensory awareness, through experiences that also awaken attributes such as aliveness, curiosity, agility, self-sufficiency, common sense, and helpfulness through connection with the natural world.
Music Lessons
Tuesdays. Learn. Practice. Play! We will adventure into the musical wilderness together and build a foundation for a lifetime of rewarding music making. More info...